Repair of traumatic inferior orbital wall defects with nasoseptal cartilage.

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the effectiveness of nasoseptal cartilage for repairing traumatic orbital floor defects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Autogenous septal cartilage was used in 20 patients. They were evaluated for the presence or absence of diplopia, enophthalmus, infraorbital nerve paresthesia, and ocular motility disorders. Surgical indications for orbital exploration included entrapment of orbital tissues, large orbital defect (greater than 50% of the orbital floor or more than 8 mm), or orbital floor defects with involvement of other zygomaticofrontal complex fractures.

RESULTS

All patients were successfully treated by restoration of the orbital wall continuity. Follow-up at 1 week to 6 months showed 1 patient with postoperative enophthalmos and 1 patient with lower lid edema. There were no donor site and graft infections or graft extrusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Nasal septal cartilage is a readily accessible autogenous tissue that should be considered when an autogenous graft is needed for orbital floor defect reconstruction.